Tribute to Kes
Kes as a young dog
Trudy got Kes about 8 months before we got married. It was a long search to find just the right Aussie. Trudy had some very specific requirements for her Aussie. It had to be a blue merle but not just any blue merle, it had to be one of the “pretty” ones. Then she wanted it to have blue eyes. Did I mention that only a bitch would be accepted? After looking at many litters with many reasons why each was not acceptable, a little six month old blue bitch was heard about on the Oregon coast. This ment another road trip; you can imagine a guy running border collies… an Aussie is an Aussie is an Aussie… wondering what was wrong with the last one and thinking this will be the the same. We got out there and the pups were brought out. It was love at first sight. With the pretty blue merle bitch with blue eyes filled, now the last requirement had to be filled; the personality test. After what seemed like forever being spent with this pup evaluating its personality and temperament Trudy decided that this was the pup she had been searching for.
With the decision made we sat down to review the “puppy contract”, WHAT? Trudy asked me what I thought of the contract. I could only say “I would never sign it”. In the world I was in with herding dogs there was only the shake of a hand and the cash paid making the dog yours to do with what you would; to be sold, bred, and used how you saw fit. Trudy explained that in her world a puppy contract was standard and no big deal. I sat down to listen thinking it is just an Aussie, we have looked this long we can just keep looking (remember, an Aussie is an Aussie is an Aussie) another one is bound to come along. Needless to say we left the Oregon coast with a little blue eyed blue merle Aussie bitch with no name in the pickup with us and consuming all of Trudy’s attention (poor me).
After many days of deliberation Trudy settled on a name. The pretty little blue eyed, blue merle Aussie bitch would from that day on be called; Three B’s Redfern Blue Kestrel, known to the world as Kes.
Kes was one of the most flexible dogs I had ever been around. Throughout her life she often amazed me as to how flexible she was. I remember the first time I found how flexible she was; we were doing an examination of her (I do not remember the reason) and as I lifted her head it kept going and going till she was nearly looking backwards over her back. This was an ability she had even as an older dog.
Kes with Smokey ready for one of Trudys rides to the river
When Trudy and I married Trudy was managing a warmblood farm. Kes would go everywhere with Trudy and could get out of nearly anything to be with her. Trudy tried to put Kes in a feed room when she had to work with the studs, this proved to be fruitless and it was easier to teach Kes what she could do while Trudy worked the studs then to keep her confined while the work was being done. Kes always enjoyed the trail rides and going to the river, she loved to be doing things with Trudy. As chores where being done Kes was always being tested; running through culverts, jumping onto the haystack, walking across rails and on and on. She loved the geese at the warmblood farm and would often try to herd them. The geese learned to go into the settling pond to avoid being worked but Kes worked that out by going around the the pond and eventually swimming through it to get to the geese and was soon able to put the geese into and out of the pond on Trudies command. It was also while we were at the warmblood farm that Trudy and Kes competed in their first herding trial.
To the time of the trial Kes and Trudy had only been on the farm geese and chasing sandpipers on the ocean beach. Trudy had faith in Kes and entered her into the AKC HT on sheep though Kes had never in her life seen a sheep. Kes lived up to Trudies belief in her qualifying both times and left the trial with her HT and in Trudy a strong desire to compete in herding. We did not have stock to train on so Kes and Trudy did general obedience and farm agility for fun.
We left the Warmblood farm that winter and moved south to Battle Ground Wa where Trudy found a place she could rent livestock to train Kes on. Kes proved to be very trainable. As they did lessons their instructor would tell Trudy what Kes need to do for their next step and to his amazement, Kes would have the skill mastered by their next lesson.
Kes competed in a number of different trialing venues on cattle, ducks, and sheep. She is the dog that I refer to as ”fluffy” that beat me at a Western Cowdog Trial with my tough “win any battle thrown at him” Kelpie to win the Sam Noble Memorial buckle in the rancher class in 2002 at Bruno Idaho. I will tell you that was a long 8 hour drive home fuming at fluffy for beating me and looking at what should have been my buckle sitting on the dash. Kes did deserve the win though, she got the cattle farther through the course then any of the dogs including the open class. She kept her cattle calm and just held her ground till the cattle simply turned off her and went through the obstacles. When Trudy went up to accept the buckle and have her picture taken for an article that was planned to be sent to the Ranch Dog Trainer magazine the presenter asked why she did not bring the dog she won with. When Trudy answered that this was the dog the presenter looked down at Kes and said “you won with THAT”. Kes did not make it into the magazine for the win, when the article came out her class was not included in the article; a sad note but not the first, nor the only, time Kes had to deal with being underestimated because she was an Aussie (I was the first she had to break the perception of an Aussie is an Aussie…).
Kes ready to work the pens
Kes won a number of high in trials and reserve high in trials as she achieved her WTCH (working trial champion with ASCA) and her HC (herding champion with AHBA). As Trudy trained and worked with Kes they impressed many people; Patrick Shannahan once commented that Kes was an Aussies that he thought could compete in the USBCHA sheep dog trials at a Pro-Novice level. Even after Kes retired from the trial world she was Trudies main chore dog and was with Trudy each day to set stock up for the other dogs Trudy was working.
Kes, Tick, and Newt Photo by Dancing Dog photography
Kes only had one Litter but out of that litter alone more then enough points were acquired to put her into the ASCA hall of fame dam. That litter put the sire into the ASCA hall of fame as well (again all the points were acquired by this litter with points to spare). Kes’s only litter also finished earning the points to put Kes’s breeders kennel into the ASCA hall of fame also. So much contributed by Kes by being the foundation dam of Double V Aussies and hooking Trudy on herding.
Kes was found with Trudy working sheep and cattle right up to the week before her passing. We Lost Kes Thanksgiving weekend this year. She was healthy and active right up to the end. It happened so fast that the vets were not able to diagnose exactly what was happening.
Kes taught me many things, probably the most important is an Aussie is not an Aussie is not an Aussie… She did all of her jobs to the best of her ability and loved doing it. She was always ready for a car ride, trail ride, a walk to the river, working livestock, or just hanging out and happy to do it as long as it was with us.
This tribute to Kes is all we can do for her now. We miss and Love our dog, our friend, our family; we miss Kes.